The year 2016 is very special for actor Balakrishna. He’s looking at the release of his 99th film — Dictator, on January 14 — and at home, life is starting to feel that bit extra special with the veteran doting over grandson Devansh. “I become a child myself when Devansh is with me. We’re both very excited around each other. The other grandfather (Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu) is a bit dull, so whenever the little one meets me we have a world of fun — I’m always keeping him active,” the actor says with a smile.
“I tell my daughter Brahmani that he should be active all the time. I even show him my films… he doesn’t really understand what’s going on but I still try explaining things him. And I tell everyone… leave Devansh with me for 10 years because I want to teach him so many things. I will turn him into a person with so much energy and positivity… just like me. The other grandpa is nicknamed ‘Silent Thatha’. I’m the more hyper one.” The actor’s smile turns into a laugh. Life at home has always been important for Balakrishna. From the early days, he remembers the early mornings and the school runs. “But all credit has to go to my wife Vasundhara. She took care of their education too while I was busy with the movie career. I was not very involved in their schooling but I would get up early and drop them off to school. And if the driver was absent, I would drop them and pick them up from tuitions too. That’s the only help I could offer. Vasundhara took care of everything else.”
Bringing up the kids But I gave my children absolute freedom while growing up. This one time my eldest daughter, Brahmini, got a call from director Mani Ratnam about a role. I didn’t have any objections and I told them I would be happy to ask my daughter on their behalf. So I did.. but she declined — her choice. I asked my younger daughter, Teju (Mathukumilli Tejaswini) too but she wasn’t showing any interest either. It’s their life… it’s all up to them.” That sense of independence flows into the workplace too. “See, I just don’t want to be a dull person. I’m very jovial and I mingle with all. For example, in Dictator … Anjali is a good actress and she is hyper, just like me. The other actress is Sonal Chauhan, She’s not from here so, there’s always a piece of paper with all dialogues with her. I just give her tips on where to pause and where more expressions are needed. That’s all. I always encourage a natural comfort zone.”
‘I’ll never change’ Balakrishna is also close to his on-screen characters and shares much of their characteristics. One notable similarity is an affection for routine and habit. “I use the same Hamam soap, the same toothpaste, the toothbrush brand, the lanka chuttas (homegrown cigarettes). Even when I go abroad, I take these cigarettes with me. There are no restrictions on food because I eat everything. I don’t prefer dieting either. Instead, I have self-imposed restrictions on food. My day starts with the lanka chutta (he wakes up around 3.30am) and then it’s cycling and some cardio on the treadmill — no rigorous exercises and I don’t have one of those trainers either.”
His home Speaking of attachments, Balakrishna offered us a little insight into what his home at the city’s upscale Jubilee Hills meant to him. “When I built this house there was nothing around for miles. My father (the late N.T. Rama Rao) performed the bhoomi puja for this house and on the same day, I met Vasundhara. I still remember… my father-in-law was staying at a hotel here and I met them for my pelli choopulu (the traditional meeting of the boy and girl). And once the house was finished, it became a landmark and people started calling it the ‘White House’. Others even suggested the house should be turned into a commercial complex but I couldn’t. I have made so many memories in this house. My son will be taking the final decision though… these sentiments are mine and not his and I don’t want to force these feelings on them.”
Balakrishna also stopped himself from turning producer. “I was supposed to start a production house of my own. It was called Brahma Teja (named after my daughters). I even paid an advance sum to a director but the project never took off because astrologers advised me not to go ahead with production. I then dropped the plan completely.” The future and politics The simplicity in thought and belief continues as the talk moves towards politics. Balakrishna is a member of the Telugu Desam and says his focus remains on his constituency of Hindupur. “Currently, that’s my focus… yes. I follow party rules and whatever course it decides, I will go with it. I have no further aspirations. I do believe,
Chandrababu Naidu is the man for the job and I’m confident he will do the right thing and he will elected into the next term too. So yeah, my individual focus is on the constituency and my cancer hospital.”
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